Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Origins of the American Revolution

Tell me these words below aren't the actions of government happening today.

Scanned from John C. Miller’s book 1943
by BlackPowderBill Jan. 9,2008

290 ORIGINS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
assembly and threatened the printer of the Virginia Gazette with the loss of his salary as official printer unless he kept his paper clear of radicalism. In consequence, the Whigs found that the only newspaper in the Old Dominion was "totally engrossed for the vile Purpose of ministerial Craft." 16 Moreover, it suspended pub­lication for four months in 1765-1766 on the ground that no stamps could be procured.
The Virginia press was thus silenced during one of the most critical periods of the revolutionary era. The Sons of Liberty in the Middle colonies quickly came to the rescue, how­ever, by sending a printer to Virginia to establish a Whig news­paper in the province. The royal governor soon found himself un­able to maintain his control over the press: the old Virginia Gazette threw off the traces and became a Whig sheet and thus all the governor got for his pains was the establishment of two radical newspapers in place of one.17

The most significant work of the papers lay in uniting the colo­nies behind the leadership of the seaports. After the repeal of the Stamp Act, British taxation fell almost wholly upon the trading towns: the country people did not see the commissioners, custom­house officers, and admiralty judges who to the seagoing patriots were the embodiment of British tyranny.

It was vital to the success of the revolutionary movement that the farmers — who composed the great bulk of the population — be persuaded to come to the aid of the townsmen; yet they revealed an alarming disposition to regard the quarrel as being exclusively between the seaports and the British government.

To convince the farmers of their stake in the struggle, the town patriots were obliged to aim their propaganda at the weakest place in the people's armor: their fear of taxation by the British government. As a result, it was the farmers who, during the revolutionary period, snuffed tyranny in every tainted breeze and who lived in fear of future evils at the hands of the mother country. It would be more exact to say, however, that they did not snuff tyranny — they read about it in their weekly newspapers.

16 Maryland Gazette, October 17, 1765. New York Journal or General Advertiser, November 27, 1765.
17 James Parker to Benjamin Franklin, May 6, 1766, Franklin MSS., Amer­ican Philosophical Society. New York Journal or General Advertiser, No­vember 27, 1766.


THE COLLAPSE OF COLONIAL OPPOSITION 291

When serving up their propaganda, the Whigs believed that seasoning and spice ought to be used liberally. "People who have weak appetites must be warmed," said they.18
This recipe succeeded admirably in making the farmers quake for their liberty and prop­erty. A colonial farmer could scarcely pick up his newspaper with­out encountering dire warnings of his fate if the British Parliament succeeded in establishing its right to tax the colonies.

Then, pre­dicted the Whig journalists, Americans would be buried beneath an avalanche of imposts: hearth taxes, window taxes, taxes upon imports, taxes upon exports, land taxes — nothing, it seemed, would escape the gimlet eye of the tax gatherer. As Americans studied this dismal catalogue, they might well conclude that they would shortly "be brought to a morsel of bread, or but one meal of meat in a week" in order that Englishmen might consume double ra­tions.19 "Perhaps before long," remarked Alexander Hamilton, "your tables, chairs, and platters, and dishes, and knives, and forks, and every thing else, would be taxed.

Nay, I don't know but they would find means to tax you for. every child you got, and for every kiss your daughters received fronl their sweethearts; and, God knows, that would soon ruin you." 20 If farmers permitted Parliament to tax merchandise imported into the colonies, the fatal precedent would be established whereby they would be reduced to poverty and slavery.

For them to contend that they had "a Right to hold the Lands which they have honestly purchased," the Whigs pointed out, "will be as great a piece of Folly, as it was for the Merchants vainly to pretend that they had a Right to keep their own Money, which they had fairly gained after many a Risque in their Trade."
21
With these warnings dinned in their ears, it was not remarkable that country people began to ask each other: "What would you say, if a Fellow should come to take a list of your Cattle that Parliament might tax you for them at so much a head? ... If Parliament can take away Mr. Hancock's wharf and Mr. Row's wharf they can take away your Barn and my house."22

To prove that this alarm was not baseless, Americans had merely to point to Ireland as a dreadful example of what might happen...

18 Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, 1860, Second Series, IV, 382.
19 Essex Gazette, January 18, 1774.
20 Works of Alexander Hamilton, I, 36-37.
^Boston Gazette, December 23, 1771; August i, 1774.
22'Old Family Letters, edited by Alexander Biddle, Philadelphia, 1892, 140.

Even after 250+ years it seems our founding fathers were correct that any government, even back then liked to tax.

Regards BPB

Monday, January 12, 2009

SCOPEny.org protest letters to the Governor

David A. Paterson, Governor
State of New York
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
(518) 474-8390

Dear Governor Patterson,

Before raising taxes and fees on New York State citizens in order to close the $13,000,000,000 budget gap, or canceling SCOPEny.org protest lettershighly valued yet relatively inexpensive programs such as the Reynolds farm pheasant-stocking program, you should consider eliminating costly and ineffective programs.

Accordingly, the Genesee County Chapter of the Shooters Committee on Political Education (S.C.O.P.E.) strongly urges the elimination of the Combined Ballistic Information System (COBIS) in New York State.

Since the implementation of this program in 2001, this program has cost New York state taxpayers approximately $30 million with no tangible results. For example, 212,080 firearms have been entered into the database and only two matching ‘hits’ were found. Neither of these hits has resulted in arrest or conviction.

Detailed studies of analogous systems in California and Maryland have shown similarly poor results and concluded that these systems are inherently flawed and easily defeated. For instance, simple wear from repeated firing changes the characteristics of fired shell casings enough to raise considerable doubt about the accuracy of such tests. Shell casings that strike the ground show abrasion that may confound necessary comparisons. Revolvers do not leave casings, and criminals can simply pick up ejected casings and destroy such evidence. Furthermore, one simple brush of a firearm’s chamber with sandpaper will render any useable comparisons meaningless. Lastly, the program presumes that criminals obtain their firearms legally, a disingenuous and unsubstantiated claim. Ultimately these studies recommended that California and Maryland discontinue their programs.

We urge you to abandon New York’s costly and wasteful COBIS program.

Respectfully,


Concerned citizen and
Member, SCOPE Genesee County Chapter


Printed below is the text of a letter being sent from Yates County SCOPE to Governor Patterson with copies to Senator George Winner and Assemblyman Jim Bacalles. This letter will also be provided to the Rochester D & C, Finger Lakes Times, Canandaigua Messenger, Penn Yan Chronicle Advisor, Dundee Observer and New York Outdoor News.

We are also sending all of our members a prepaid and addressed postcard (about 150) asking them to sign and mail to the governor. Extra copies will be made available to the three gun dealers in Yates County to give to customers. The postcards message is a summary of the letter posted below the line.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

NY Democrats seize control of state Senate

History was made in Albany this past week as Senate Democrats took leadership control over the chamber for the first time in more than 40 years. Senator Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) was elected Majority Leader by a 32 – 29 vote on Wednesday. Smith pledged to reform the rules of the Senate.

“Imagine a fully functioning Legislature where Senate committees function like real committees, where members debate and even amend bills in the committee, where members of the majority and minority introduce bills onto the floor for a vote, and those votes are recorded," he said. Later Smith announced that a bipartisan committee had been created to examine the rules and would report back to the Senate by the end of September. Democrats now control both houses of the legislature and the executive branch.

New York Legislature tagged as still broken

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School has called the New York State Legislature the most dysfunctional in the nation for the second time in five years. According to a recent report issued by NYU’s law school, New York State's legislature is still broken.
The report called it the most dysfunctional, anti-democratic, boss-ruled, slovenly legislature in the country.

The report says, “Most legislative standing committees met infrequently or not at all during 2006 and 2007. There were almost no hearings on major legislation. Not a single major bill was the subject of a detailed committee report.

Leadership maintained near total control over what bills reached the floor. And on the floor, there was little substantive debate; every bill brought to the floor for a vote in either chamber passed.”
The report cites the Senate, now under Democratic control for the first time in decades, as a glimmer of hope to bring real reform to the system that has been broken for years. To view the report, click here.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

ATF's 4473 a shortage of forms~

A shortage in forms.


http://www.atf.gov/firearms/010609atf_f4473shortage-notice.htm
U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Assistant Director
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington, DC 20226
January 6, 2009
Notice to All Federal Firearms Licensees Regarding ATF Form 4473 Shortage
As a result of an unprecedented increase in demand for ATF Forms 4473 (5300.9) Part I Revised August 2008, inventory of the form at the ATF Distribution Center is running low.

As a temporary measure, ATF is allowing FFLs to photocopy the form 4473 in it’s entirety until they receive their orders from the ATF Distribution Center.

A notice will be posted at the expiration of this temporary authorized change.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

1st SCOPEny.org Legislative Report of 2009

The 1st SCOPEny.org Legislative Report of 2009 has been posted to our website at

http://scopeny.org/ARCHIVES/SCOPE_Legislative_Report.pdf

This report will be updated as necessary during the legislative session, the next few weeks will see all the usual anti gun bills reintroduced and most likely some new ones.

Ken Mathison, President

SCOPE, Inc.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

NYSCC direction on DEC budget cuts

FYI: just cause I post it "does not" mean I agree with everything that is written.
update Jan 7~ I've posted a reply to the NYSCC letter below.
Gary Hungerford makes some realistic points. I've also added a link to Magnuson Act; however I can not locate the Supreme court comments.
bpb

Hello all concerned sportsmen.

As everyone has heard, we are facing some major cuts in the programs and staff that DEC provides for us through the Conservation Fund. Much of the funding for the Conservation Fund comes from the fees we spend on hunting, fishing and trapping licenses, and the federal dollars that are returned from federal taxes on equipment we buy, with some money also coming from the General Fund. This year there is less money coming in from the General Fund, which is adding to the deficit in the Conservation Fund.
In previous years there was talk of license fee increases, which the NYSCC opposed because of lack of support in the Legislature to lower the age to hunt big game. In 2008 this legislation passed, and now 14 and 15 years old can hunt big game.

I anticipated a proposal by DEC for license fee increases, which did not occur. Instead, the Governor's office and Budget and Finance decided to do away with the pheasant program, even though it brought in millions of dollars. Hopefully we can get money set up in a dedicated account to protect the pheasant program in future years. I have meetings set up with the hopes of saving the pheasant program for this year.

In the Governor's budget bills, there is also language to create a $10 trout and salmon stamp that would be required of everyone who will fish waters that are listed as trout waters. This would not be so bad - IF the money went into a special account for raising and stocking trout and salmon; at least we would have a means of protecting the fish hatcheries.

The $19 marine recreational fishing license will put New York State in compliance with federal regulations requiring a registry of all marine recreational anglers; but in the Governor's budget bill, nothing would go back to the marine district. Also, anyone fishing the Hudson River up to the Troy dam would need that marine license. Adding that to the cost of a freshwater license totals $38.

Capital projects money from the EPF for repairs to the fish hatcheries has been cut from $5 million to $1.5 million, and probably will be cut more.

At the January 3rd Board of Directors' meeting of the NYSCC, the Directors agreed that these issues could not wait until the NYSCC's Legislative Meeting in March. The Board voted as follows:

1- To support a reasonable increase in license fees;

2- To support the Trout and Salmon stamp, with monies dedicated to the maintenance and staffing of fish hatcheries and the stocking of fish; and to change the wording to "State stamp required when angling for and in possession of trout or salmon";

3- To support the creation of a pheasant stamp, with the money dedicated to raising and/ or purchasing pheasants and the stocking of pheasants on lands open to hunting by sportsmen;

4- To support the marine fishing license, with a couple of changes: $6 to go into the Conservation Fund to cover costs incurred, with the remainder going into the marine account. Also, a combination license at $29 should be offered;

5- To support the bottle bill: add a 5-cent deposit on non-carbonated beverage containers, with all unclaimed container return money going to the EPF;

I hope everyone can support these measures, so that we can keep our programs intact.
Please send me your comments.

Yours in Conservation,

Harold L. Palmer
President
New York State Conservation Council, Inc.
607-638-9013
==================================================
From: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCOPEny/post?postID=fjZDf9ZUCxX10w4ooCYqrVVDGYJiYryvRApAXLsobyU6fOXUbko5xHCsjJbHy9-ptcd86cOg1QlYsicTo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCOPEny/post?postID=bCxO7P1qB3fHb6WZ6t-7KXs_vtUNcCaZNOLGipbjQTAIhJtHogye0UEQT9mZ41UfZC6Ln1zVBasLP5Kg34BJ2IkSent: 1/6/2009 11:37:11

A.M. Eastern Standard TimeSubj: NYSCC position on fee/license increases

Harold:
I've just finished reading your column, in the January edition of the Grass Roots News.I find I must take significant exception, to many of the things you support and, thru you, NYSCC supports.

Please let me clarify one item, since you don't seem to beaware of it. It was not Patterson, who decided to shut down theReynold's Game Farm.

The decision came from Judith Enck, the anti-conservationist, pro-tree-hugger, who has wanted to be rid of it andall similar programs, for as long as she has been aware of them.You ask what you can OFFER the governor, to save the pheasantprogram. You can't offer him anything! He agrees with Enck. Bothunderstand that the cost of the program is returned, many times over,thru license fees and taxes. They don't care. It's their excuse toeliminate another element of hunting, in NYS.You support the $10 salmon/trout stamp.

How can you? If youaccept this, what's coming next? Separate stamps, for each of crappie, walleye, pike, pickerel, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass,largemouth bass, etc.?
It will never end, until they have made thesport financially impossible, for all except those with private lakes or the money to pay $500~$1,000, annually, to fish in freshwater.If they get away with that one, there will be deer stamps,antler stamps, bear stamps, moose stamps, turkey stamps, etc.

You support the saltwater fishing license, accepting theargument that, if NYS doesn't do it, the feds will do it. You know that argument doesn't hold water. You and I have been thru the details of the Magnuson Act and the Supreme Court ruling about how,when and why the feds can create databases, as well as the fact that the feds must provide funding for it, if they want it and if they can, constitutionally, justify it, which they can't.

NYS is just using what they know to be an illegally required database as their excuse, to steal more tax money, while reducing thenumber of anglers. Once implemented, regardless of the allegedreason, it will never be withdrawn and the cost will only go up, sothey can spend more of our dollars against us, never for us, followedby striped bass stamps, bluefish stamps, porgy stamps, etc.

Nothing will come of the saltwater license, except another source for corrupted spending, by NYS' politicians. Yes, I expect they will ram it down our throats, this year, because they control both legislative houses and the governor's office.
There's no one to stop them. That doesn't mean we should tell them we agree or help them!

Gary

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Duck hunting on Onodaga Lake under fire!

Poll and story, you guys know the routine~ BPB


Duck hunting controversy on Onondaga Lake

http://www.cnycentral.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=241403
Poll
Should duck hunting be allowed on Onondaga Lake?
Yes
No
You must make a selection.

update Jan 4~
WELL kick me in the berries. I see the complainant is none other than Bryan Pease and his mother Terry. Bryan was arrested at Marshal's farm in North Rose a few years back. He has several arrest and is now a lawyer in S.Calif. Last I had heard of him he was protecting seals on the docks San Diego.
His Daddy is a federal Asst. DA.
Geeze wish my Daddy was a lawyer and could keep me and my criminal activity all at misdemeanors.
bpb